Interesting facts about the cuckoo work. Life of a cuckoo bird. Reproduction and lifespan
In nature, cuckoos live for about 10 years.
- The most famous fact about the cuckoo: it does not build its own nests and lays its eggs in others.
- In flight, the cuckoo's coloration resembles a bird of prey. Thanks to this, the male cuckoo scares the bird that owns the nest, and at this time the female throws an egg.
- It only takes 10-16 seconds for the cuckoo to lay an egg in the nest.
- The thrown eggs almost match the color of the eggs of the nest owners. A female cuckoo can lay from 8 to 25 eggs in one season, however, for every 5 eggs laid, only one chick survives.
- The period from laying eggs to hatching of chicks is shorter for the cuckoo than for those species in whose nests they are located.
- During the breeding season, the male cuckoo guards the “nesting site” of those birds where the female should lay eggs, since if there are two eggs of these birds in one nest, then the chicks will most likely also both die from lack of food.
- In both Denmark and Sweden, the bird is tortured for longevity; in Japan, it is considered a traveler to the next world, closely associated with death. And she cries for misfortune, for pestilence, and for fire.
- The first of April, known to us as “Fools’ Day,” is called “Cuckoo Day” in Scotland.
- An adult cuckoo eats up to a hundred caterpillars in an hour, while working like this for ten hours. And if a lot of pests appear in the forest where it lives, then the bird will work until it destroys all the insects.
- Scorpion venom is absolutely harmless to the cuckoo.
- A curious feature of the cuckoo breed is the almost complete absence of “voice” in the female. She makes a characteristic gurgling trill, but the males cuckoo loudly.
The cuckoo chick, being still blind, deaf and completely naked, solves its housing problems by throwing out the eggs or chicks of its owners from the nest - replacing several chicks of another species with more numerous offspring. The throwing instinct lasts 3-4 days and then fades away. But even if the chicks of their adoptive parents were not “overboard,” they are still doomed: the cuckoo chicks will intercept all the food that is brought to them.
But what do you know about cuckoos? Most will say that they say “cuckoo” and by these sounds a person sometimes determines “how old he is.” I offer several facts that will expand your knowledge about these difficult birds.
Sometimes cuckoo eggs end up in the wrong nest. This happens if there are few bird nests nearby or the female cuckoo is young and does not have enough experience. Such chicks usually die. Most often, the cuckoo chooses lonely nests and “synchronizes” the process of the appearance of its eggs with the cubs of the nurse bird. When a cuckoo wants to lay an egg in the nest of another bird, it scares it away by imitating the cry of a hawk. By the way, the mass of a cuckoo egg is only 2-3 grams, which is very small compared to other birds - everything is done for mobility and ease of throwing into other nests. And even despite all the tricks, only about half of the chicks survive - the rest are thrown out of the nest by the returning owners. And the surviving little cuckoos behave accordingly - they, having gained a little strength, simply throw other chicks out of the nest, including their brothers, if they find themselves in the same nest.
Cuckoos eat caterpillars, dragonflies, beetles, flies, larvae and snails. Before migration, they intensively gain weight (gain up to 100%), because the birds will have to fly about 5000 km. Cuckoos migrate mainly at night, in small flocks, from Europe to Africa, across the Mediterranean Sea, at an altitude of about 300 m.
Great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) and others large species, from 40 cm in height, throw their eggs into the nests of birds of the raven family, usually jays and magpies. “Caring” parents closely monitor the fate of their offspring in another nest, and if life is not satisfactory (their chick is thrown out of the nest), they destroy the nest, eating the eggs and chicks. The little emerald cuckoo (Chrysococcyx) uses the nests of birds of the weaver family to raise its offspring.
Among cuckoos there are also less aggressive species. For example, cuckoos of the Crotophaga family in tropical Africa do not throw their eggs into the nests of other birds. They build family nests, where the entire flock (about 20 individuals) lays their eggs. Afterwards, old birds look after them, hatching and raising their chicks - why not a hostel?
Many of you have seen Disney cartoons about a coyote and a bird constantly running away from him. The bird's name is roadrunner, and it also belongs to the cuckoo family - Geococcyx californianus. This bird lives in the deserts of Mexico and Central America and runs really fast - with its low weight it can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h! But in real life, and not in the cartoon, the coyote will easily catch up with her - the animal’s speed reaches 56 km/h.
These are such difficult birds... And nothing can be done - nature arranged it this way, which means they exist for a reason and have received the right to further development. It’s just strange why people use the cuckoo’s song to count their remaining years? Maybe someone can tell me?
Common cuckoo (as we are used to seeing it)
From early childhood, everyone is familiar with the vociferous and “frivolous fortuneteller” - the cuckoo. How often, while walking in the forest, did everyone turn to her with the question: how long to live? And, holding his breath, he counted down the cherished " peek-a-boo" Did you know that the deadline is set by the male cuckoo species? The voice of the lady cuckoo is far from cuckooing and rather resembles loud laughter.
Everyone knows the irresponsibility of the cuckoo, which is capable of giving its children to be raised by other parents. Darwin explained this behavior by evolutionary processes. The point is the particularly long development of the chick relative to the emergence of new offspring in the form of the next one. Faced with a choice: to feed the previous one or hatch the next parasite, the cuckoo decides to give each new child to more organic parents.
There are an incredible number of varieties of this (they all differ slightly in different voices cuckoos). While differing, as a rule, in habitat, cuckoos of adjacent species also differ in behavior. For example, the great spotted European cuckoo (Clamator Glandarius) leaves not one, but sometimes four to eight future chicks in someone else's nest! Often, cuckoo chicks are superior in size and development to their half-brothers, who in this case are aggressively thrown out of the nest by the cuckoo chicks, remaining the priority of their adoptive parents. But, like everything in our world, the cuckoo is different from the cuckoo. For example, a mother from the species Coccyzus Americanus, or American yellow-billed, hatches and raises her offspring independently, with the help of the father of the family, who obtains food.
Surprisingly many cuckoo species are migratory birds! From European countries, cuckoos fly to Africa, organizing themselves in small flocks. They cross the Mediterranean Sea at an altitude of up to three hundred meters.
Another interesting view cuckoos
This is only a small part of the whole variety of surprises hidden in natural and social laws being. By learning new interesting facts about reality, you can learn to look at the world from different angles and not rush to scold the cuckoo for its non-standard behavior!
By the way, maybe you didn’t know, but in English the cuckoo is called “cuckoo”:). It's cool, we think :).
In spring or early summer, everyone heard a mysterious cooing in a forest or park. But few have seen this vocal bird, indistinguishable among the branches and cautious in its habits. The peculiarities of the bird's singing are reflected in the name, and in different European languages. The slightly sad “peek-a-boo” is even associated with wishing for fortune.
Features and habitat of the cuckoo
Despite the fateful significance of singing cuckoos, bird description not impressive: small in size, barely larger than a dove. The plumage is gray-white, with transverse stripes along the body, the tail is long, and the paws have two front toes and two hind toes, covered with feathers. The weight is only 100 grams, and the length is approximately 40 cm. The appearance of the bird resembles a hawk or other predator, this similarity helps them survive.
When the cuckoo sings, it sways slightly different sides and straightens and raises the tail. The male makes familiar sounds, calling for his girlfriend and notifying neighbors that the territory is occupied. The voice of the female cuckoo is different, a little like laughter. Having heard it, no one will count the years.
The distribution of cuckoos is extensive: throughout Europe, Africa, Asia. Its presence is associated with passerine species, which are widespread. Attachment is explained by the tossing of eggs, but this is not the only thing that promotes migration.
Forests, steppes, taiga are inhabited cuckoos, migratory birds. From April they gradually appear in our areas, and already in July they gather in South Africa from the western regions, and from the eastern regions - in China or India. It is interesting that the old birds fly away first, and later, by September, the young ones. Thus, cuckoo – wintering bird warm countries.
There are several main subspecies, but the “common” one is known cuckoo", what bird widespread and recognizable by their characteristic singing, they live in familiar meadows and fields, surrounded by hills, among reeds along the edges of marshy places.
Among the mountains they are found at altitudes of up to 2,500 m, and sometimes up to 4,000 m. Birds do not like desert areas, dense thickets, tundra and noisy urban buildings. In foreign places, birds choose places similar in relief to their native ones. In spring they rush to return to familiar territories.
Character and lifestyle of the cuckoo
Studying cuckoo behavior is a thankless task. She is secretive and careful, leaving almost no traces of her activity. Loudly notifies of presence, but does not allow surveillance. Many may not be distinguishable bird voices, cuckoo even a child will recognize it.
The photo shows a common cuckoo
The bird is not adapted to movement on the ground. If it descends for prey, it hurries to fly back. Two-fingered paws clumsily carry the cuckoo, whose step alternates with a jump. The required distance is missed to the target so that not even paw marks remain. A selected caterpillar or worm is a reward for the inconvenience of moving.
Cuckoos live separately, seeking to create pairs only temporarily for the mating season. The territory of each bird is proportional to its size and age. The male may “give way” to the female a little, but he protects the area from others and loudly notifies everyone.
Cuckoo feeding
The bird's diet is rich in various insects. By exterminating pests, cuckoos bring great benefits agriculture. Despite its modest size, food consumption is much more active than that of its close relatives. In a day, one bird can absorb up to 1,500 caterpillars, 15 lizards, 30 grasshoppers, and 40 cabbage worms. And this is not the limit.
The well-known gluttony of cuckoo chicks is a big problem for feeder-guardians. In addition to insects, their larvae, beetles, eggs of other birds, frogs, earthworms, slugs become food for vocal birds.
The cuckoo loves to feast on dragonflies and grasshoppers caught from ambush. The observation ends with a swift rush to capture the prey and return to the post. Eating caterpillars is a real ritual. First, the victim's head is broken, then the intestinal contents are shaken out through active rotation in the air, and only then is the prey swallowed.
Reproduction and lifespan
Spring mating dances of cuckoos occur with a touch of romance. The male waves his tail like a fan and calls to the cuckoo. The lowered head and wings are a sign of recognition and calling. The brought twig or stem completely conquers the female.
It is known that cuckoo bird nest- always someone else's. Her concern is to provide the offspring with a reliable foster parent among other birds. The explanation for this is simple: the deferred amount will not be able to save cuckoo bird, eggs are numerous, and each needs its own guardian.
The tossing is done thoughtfully and carefully. First, the bird watches the “guardian’s” nest, waits for the moment of access and leaves cuckoo eggs instead of the host’s, simply throwing them away. For some time the female observes the behavior of the owners of the nest. When she is convinced that the egg has been accepted, then she leaves the post.
Cuckoo eggs are relatively small in relation to the size of the bird itself. Therefore, many “adoptive parents” do not notice the substitution, and the arrival of a female frightens them due to the similarity of her color to predators.
The cuckoo chick hatches on the 11th-12th day, usually earlier than the others. The fight for food explains their fighting behavior: they strive to push others out of the nest and grab more food.
The story of foundlings does not always turn out well. City sparrows have learned to recognize thrown eggs and throw them away; other birds may abandon a nest with someone else's gift. But the most patient parents nurture everyone.
It is interesting that the cuckoo strives to lay an egg on the bird that raised it. Among the reliable guardians are the Robin, the White Wagtail, the Garden Redstart, and the Wood Accentor. Often, the size of the adoptive parents is much more modest than that of the cuckoo foster child.
Experts note that if cuckoos took care of their offspring, the number of chicks and their gluttony would still exceed the capabilities of the parents. Therefore, their concern found another expression in nature.
The age of cuckoos in nature is on average from 5 to 10 years, and in captivity it is much longer - up to 25-40 years. A free pigeon of comparable average size lives about this long. Although cuckoos are similar in appearance to small hawks, their lives are a completely different story.
ANCIENT GODS-FAITH OF THE ANCESTORS Veles (Volos) is one of the most famous and most mysterious Deities of the pagan pantheon of the ancient Slavs. He is credited with the role of being responsible for people and the animal world as a whole. Many modern researchers differ in their conclusions, but one thing is certain - Veles was glorified by our most distant ancestors . Some call him the bestial God, the patron of cattle, others say that the bestial God protects the animal nature of man, others claim that Veles is the God of poets and wealth, is the grandfather of the famous poet Boyan, others talk about his afterlife essence, about his task to meet souls after death and escort to the world of the dead. There are a large number of opinions about God Veles, but let’s look at everything in order. The origin of the name Veles is not completely clear. Some researchers separate the names Veles and Volos and claim that they belong to different Deities. M. Vasmer suggests that Veles comes from the word “great” or “great.” The point of view that Volos is hairy, shaggy, shaggy is also not rejected. It may very well be that the word “magician” comes precisely from the name of the god Volos. In addition, many magicians, as you know, put on clothes with the fur facing out, thereby becoming like Veles. Veles is compared with the Baltic God of the world of the dead, Välnasa, Vielona, Velns or Vels. In Indian mythology there is a demon Vala who devours cattle, which echoes Slavic mythology in which Veles steals his heavenly herds from Perun. In many ways, Veles corresponds to the Scandinavian God Wotan (Odin). Also, many are inclined to identify with the Scandinavian VALASS, which is the God of oxen. Veles is similar in many analogies to the Greek pagan god Apollo and the Roman Mars. Galkovsky in his book “The Struggle of Christianity against the Remnants of Paganism” offers a version: the Lithuanians have the word welis, which means “dead”, wel"ei - the souls of the dead, and this may mean that Veles was originally the spirit of ancestors, a brownie or barn-keeper, who looked after the cattle. Some researchers say that both Veles and Volos can be different Gods. Volos and Veles, as a single God, have too many differences and contradictions with themselves. Thus, the name Volos often means the Snake God, the Underground God with scales, the same dragon with which the ancient Russian heroes fight, the Serpent to which Perun has always opposed; but when they say Veles, they mean either a seemingly wise old man, or God in the form of a bear, or in the form of a bull who protects livestock. However, this opinion is disputed, since idols in ancient Rus' were placed only by Veles-Volos and there are no reliable references to their different nature yet.In any case, it is now generally accepted that Veles the bull, snake, bear, frost are hypostases of one God. One of the most reliable references to God Veles is the mention in the treaties of Kyiv with Constantinople of Oleg and Svyatoslav: Oleg’s oath: “Swearing by his weapon and Perun his god and Hair the cattle god”; Svyatoslav’s oath: “Yes, we have an oath from God, in him we believe, in Perun, and in Volos, the beast god.” It is unlikely that Veles was exclusively the God of cattle; most likely this was one of his not very last duties or incarnations. Also, do not underestimate the role of livestock in the ancient world. If in our time the God of cattle seems completely insignificant, since in most modern houses there are no more animals except cats, then in Ancient World livestock was the basis not only of prosperity or well-being, but of life in general. Each family had its own livestock - cows, goats, pigs, etc. Livestock is practically a member of the family that feeds all people. The Cattle God was the most important in the veneration of the pagans, since the life of the whole family could depend on the well-being and health of the cattle. If Veles stops patronizing livestock, then the summer can still last, but it will no longer be possible to survive the winter. ● Slavic god Veles Veles is helped by numerous assistants, his army, Velesich - brownies, banniki, foresters (wood goblins), ovinniki, courtyard workers, field workers, half-days. They all help God in the daily affairs of people. Thus, we see that Veles is not only a bestial God who helps exclusively animals. By helping animals, he helps people directly. Not only the singer and storyteller Boyan is called the grandson of Veles, but the entire human race in general. To help animals, he leads a whole host of Navi spirits. Thus, Veles is not just a bestial God, but also the God of Reveal and Navi. Patron of people, patron of people's daily affairs, their activities, labor, profit, prosperity, wisdom, patron of those seeking knowledge. In addition, Veles is also called the God of Wealth. There is a belief that a person in search of material prosperity should turn to this God, since Veles is in charge of all human affairs in Revealing. The fact that he is in charge not only of the animal world is also evidenced by another custom of leaving a sheaf of hay on the field after the harvest - ox, which was also called “Hair beard” or “Veles on the beard” - a grateful offering to God, who helped to reap the harvest. Remembering the prince’s agreement with the Greeks, one can also assume that Veles, along with Perun, followed all the agreements and oaths, especially those that came on his behalf. Veles's connection with the other world is undeniable. A large number of Velesich spirits obey him. According to the most ancient beliefs, Veles (vodchik, shepherd of the dead) meets the soul of the deceased in the afterlife on the Kalinov Bridge and leads him across the Smorodina River to the world of the dead. Veles is depicted as a wise, horned old man with a crooked stick or a bunch of cut ears, or as a man with a bull's head. According to some beliefs, his mother is the cow Zemun. Veles took from her not only appearance, but also attitude towards the entire animal world. In addition, Veles is often depicted as a bear. The bear that wandered into the settlement was considered the incarnation of God Veles, who wanted to warn people about something. Appearing in the guise of a forest animal, Veles is also the patron of forest lands along with Svyatobor, the patron of travelers, and here he has a special army of spirits - foresters or goblins. It is believed that Santa Claus or Karachun is also one of the incarnations of Veles, who is in charge of the winter forest and winter cold. In addition, Veles or Volos is depicted as the Serpent - the enemy of the thunderer Perun. He is called the God of the underwater (sea) and underground worlds. Hence his connection (one of his images) with the serpent, the dragon. In general, the two Gods - Perun and Veles - were often opposed to each other, as if they were eternal opponents (the god of the Earth and the god of Heaven, the god ordinary people Veles and the god of the princely squad Perun). But, despite their confrontation, Perun and Veles remain united, which is why the pagan princes made promises or oaths in the names of both Gods. According to legend, Veles initially lived on earth, but then took up arms against the Thunder God, kidnapped Perun’s bride, his heavenly herds, the Sun, and imprisoned Perun himself in a dungeon. After the son of Perun freed his father, he again fought with Veles and defeated him. As a result, Veles was imprisoned in the underground kingdom and became the God of not only the above-ground human and animal world, but also the underground, otherworldly, the master of Navi. Perun returned the Sun to the sky, the waters began to rain again, and the wife returned to the God of Thunder. Many scientists believe that this is not just one of the important myths of the Slavs, it also describes climatic events that once really occurred. Since the cult of Veles was one of the main ones in ancient Rus', it is natural that he had his own temples and sanctuaries. In the Gustino Chronicle it is written: “The second (idol) Volos, the god of cattle, was held in great honor by them (the pagans). In Kyiv, the idol of Veles stood on the so-called “Kiev Podil” in the lower part of the city at the pier on the Pochayna River. During the baptism in 988, like the idol of Perun, the idol of Veles was thrown into the river. The “Life of Vladimir” says this: “And the Hair of the idol... led into the Pochayna River and brought it into existence.” In the pantheon that Vladimir offered to Rus', Perun was always higher than Veles. Veles was the patron saint of all Rus', of all ordinary people, and Perun was the god of the prince and the princely squad. In Kyiv, Perun stood on the mountain, and Veles under the mountain. If we take into account that Perun is the God of thunder, thunderstorms, the heavenly elements, and Veles is the earthly and underground elements, then from this it becomes clear why Perun was always placed at the top and Veles at the bottom. In Macedonia there is a city of Veles, which stands directly under the mountain of Elijah the Prophet (Elijah the Prophet took over the functions of Perun at the time of baptism). In Croatia there is the village of Volosko, which is also located under Mount Perun. Another statement that this God had great strength in the beliefs of the pagans, a certain Abraham of Rostov brought to us in the 11th century who said about the Rostov idol of Veles, standing at the Chud end of the city: “The Chud end worshiped the stone idol, Veles.” According to one of the legends, the city of Yaroslavl was built on the site of the Bear Corner temple, dedicated to Veles, in which the Magi kept the sacred bear “To this multi-executed idol and kermet (temple) was quickly created and the Magi were given, and this unquenchable fire was held by Volos and a smoke was sacrificed to him.” . Yaroslav the Wise, according to the same legend, dispersed the Magi, killed the bear and destroyed the temple of Veles. About the Ilmen Slovenes, in the story about the charter of Alexander the Great in the 17th century, it is written like this: “These princes of Slovenia-Russia... venerated this most honorable epistole as great and desecrated it as their goddess in the right country of the idol of Veles and honestly bowed to her, and the holiday was honorable to the creator at the beginning Primos day of the month." In Veliky Novgorod there was also a temple of Veles and it was located on the site of the modern Church of Blasius. In general, there is plenty of evidence that Veles was one of the supreme Deities of the pagan pantheon. After the adoption of Christianity, the church needed to somehow quickly and painlessly assimilate the pagan Rus with its saints. Suddenly, unexpectedly, many Christian saints began to acquire the features of purely Slavic pagan Gods, and the ancient Gods themselves began to be called evil spirits, demons and demons. This happened with Veles. Veles was replaced by Saint Blaise, who was also the patron saint of livestock. Some features of Veles were transferred to St. George, in particular, the legends about how Veles fed the wolves were transferred to the Christian saint. Veles was recognized as an evil spirit, hence: Volosatik, Volosen - the devil. In the Czech Republic, the term evil spirit began to be called Veles. It is also worth saying that some of the features of Veles were adopted by Nicholas the Wonderworker, who began to patronize wealth, trade, the underwater and underground world. ● constellation Volosyn The name of Veles was given to the star cluster of the Pleiades - the constellation Volosyn (Volosyn are the wives of Veles, they, according to Afanasy Nikitin, are also called Vlasozhelishchi). The Milky Way (the Milky Way formed from the milk of the celestial cow Zemun) was called Volosozhary. The tree of the God of the Slavs, Veles, is considered to be spruce, pine, walnut, ash, yew - from this wood it is worth making amulets of Veles or idols. It is likely that animal skulls hung on the temples of Veles, and the idol itself was crowned with horns and wrapped in furs. Also, most likely, the idol of Veles was present at many temples, since, among other things, Veles is the patron of magicians, sorcerers, healers, fortune-tellers, etc. His patronage of everything human, of all human nature, naturally forced people to honor him as their protector and intercessor, the patron of almost all aspects of human life, from birth itself to the posthumous journey to the afterlife. On holidays or on the days of glorification of Veles, traditional dishes are milk, cottage cheese and other dairy products. It is wrong to eat beef or bear. The demand is brought with grain, honey, bread, milk, the idol is poured with beer and kvass. In the legend about the Construction of the city of Yaroslavl, we can read: “To this multi-executed idol and temple was quickly built and the Magi were given, and this unquenchable fire was held by Volos and a chicken was sacrificed to him,” that is, chickens were sacrificed. This is also evidenced by Czech history, where the Czechs, even after accepting Christianity, sacrificed pigeons and black chickens to Veles. The birds of Veles are considered to be Raven (according to Slavic mythology two ravens accompany the soul) and the wise bird Owl. To select the location of the temple or sanctuary of Veles, they resort to certain signs. The temple can be erected either in a damp lowland, where the kingdom of the underground and underwater, serpentine world predominates, or on a mountain, where, for example, there is a spruce forest or other trees of the cattle God grow. A good sign for establishing a temple in a certain place is the presence of a raven nest nearby.
